To open up a command line either do Start -> Run... -> "cmd" or do Ctrl-Alt-Delete -> File -> New Task -> "cmd".

The command line (emulated DOS on 2000/XP) allows basic access to the file system, and, more importantly, allows you to call programs with more parameters than explorer. First we need to know how to do a few things:

Change Current Hard Drive

For whatever reason changing which hard drive you are on is different from navigating folders.

C:\>E:

E:\>

All you do is write the drive's letter followed by a colon.

Change current directory

The change directory command is abbreviated "cd"

E:\>cd boo\

E:\boo>

To go up the directory tree you use '..\' as a folder name.

E:\boo>cd ..\

E:\>

You can use all of these in combo:

E:\boo\examples>cd ..\bin\

E:\boo\bin>

Run a program

You can run a program by typing its name. However, in the case of just typing the name, it must be in the current directory or in the system path. Othewise you must type a full or local path. A local path is referred to relative of the current path. A full path includes a drive name.

E:\boo\examples>booi hello.boo
Seu nome? botty
Olá, botty!

In this example I am running a program, booi, which is in the system path. Because I am in the examples folder I may simply give it a name with no path.